The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-09-08
IRA FISHER PUNISHED
For the Crime Of His Predecessor ln the
MassIlIOk Telephone Office.
In Trying to shisId Bowel, the Former
Manager ae Gets Himself Arrested
and Sent to the Ohio PenIten-
tiary--HlstOry In Detail.

MAssILLoN, O., Sept. Especial. i
The reading public will remember The
arrest, conviction and punishment OF
Ira W. Fisher, manager OF the Tele'
phone Co. In MassillOn In January
1886, for embe zzlement. Since his re-
lease from prison he, with the assist
ance of Mr.. Il. j. Crowley, superintend-
ent of the Schuyler Electric Light Co.,
of this city, has succeeded In furnishing
the proof that the crime for which he
suffered was committed by ". +. Bow
ell, the company's manager, who pre-
eeded him.
The facts in the case are as follows:
In April, 1884, Fisher who was the
night operator at Canton, was notified
by Dist. Sup't. NJ. j. Carney, to take
charge Of the Massillon office April 8,
after the travelling auditor, j. J. s. VIII
son, Jr., had examined the books and
found them correct, not informing
Fisher that Bowel was discharged on
account of shortage, but stating that he
resigned.
As Fisher was stranger In MassillOn
Bowel was to stay with him two weeks,
after that time the Superintendent
thought he would be well enough &C.
quainted to do the work. To make the
readers acquainted with the manner the
Company does business, 1t may be we'll
to state that all receipts are made out at
the general Office in Chicago, and all
the Manager has to do is to place his
signature to the receipt upon receiving
payment; also that the Manager has
blank forms Of receipts at the Office in
case Of a mistake or emergency. As
there were quite number Of bills un'
collected.
Fisher accompanied by Bowell start,
ed to make the collections. The first
place Bowel took Fisher to was the
Masslllon Paper Company, where he
made a collection, after which Bowel
took from the package the following
receipts: No. 70, HOwelrs Coal Co. $27..
90; No. 80, HOwell's Coal Co, $500 ;
No. 7S, Beaver Run Coal Co, $27 90; No.
81. Hess & Snyder, $500; No. "a, j..
Whitman s. Co., $40 SO; No. II, Peitzger
& Breckel, $15 90; No, So, Sonnhalter
& Keller, SIS 90; No. 8, Engine House,
0.70; No. 33, Burton Coal Co., $1,000;
No. 80, j. p. Burton, So 90; total $179 33.
These receipts, he stated to Fisher, he
had collected with duplicates which he
had made himself and left the original
ones In the office. He asked Fisher as
an old friend, not to report them to the
company Immediately and he would
make them good. He also showed
Fisher letter from his brother
who was In the U. s. mail service
which stated he would let Bowel have
the money to settle the matter. Having
known Bowel for several years and
considering him to be man of his
word, Fisher was persuaded by him not
to report the deficiency to the company,
believing BoweH would make good the
amount. This being settled he asked
Fisher to lift the duplicate receipts and
giVet the original one with his (Fisher's)
signature, stating these parties would
prefer this as he was the present Mana
ger. One receipt was lifted when
Fisher refused to lift any more until
the money was paid. Several days
after Bowel left for his home In, Salem,
o., and never made good the deficiency
although Fisher wrote number Of
letters, to which he received no re-
Pp0nse.
In RE5 Fisher was arrested for apDr0.
piatin the Csmpany's money, and ex-
pectiI that the travelling Auditor, VIII
son, whose duty II is to examine the
books, would thoroughly investigate the
matter before he would willingly swear
away mans freedom, Fisher said moth.
Ing about these receipts. Every one
knows the result of the trial. Mr.. vii
son swOre that Fisher had appropriated
$113 of the Company's money, and he
was found guilty and served about thir-
teen months In the penitentiary. Since
his release he has seen Superintendent
Carney who said that this matter would
be looked up, and IL 10 was as stated by
him, the company would make due rep.
Rration. Mr.. Wilson to whom the mat
ter was referred, positively refuses to
investigate, as he told Fisher when in
MRssillOn several weeks ago, that 10 was
once settled. The reporter saw state
ment received ny Mr.. Crowley from
Stern, the present manager, showing
that the above named bills were
creditedto Bowel as not collected
when Fisher accepted the office In
MRssillon; also the duplicate receipts Of
every one Of the bills which were also
obtained by Mr.. Crowley from these
parties. The receipts are signed by
Bowel, and were collected on or before
the first day Of April, 1884, eight days
before Fisher assumed control Of
the office. Every one Of these
parties are willing to make
affidavit that these receipts
are genuine and number are anxious
to have the matter made public. as they
think Fisher was punished for B0well's
crime.
It can easily be understood how Fish.
or, who is wh0le-souled man, willing
to help friend In trouble, was drawn
into the net by Bowel, who is slick
talker,t0 extricate himself from trouble.
Mr.. Fisher has always been considered
an exemplary young man. Before and
aimee his release nothing can be said to
his discredit, and 1t is the duty Of the
nress TO expose such men as ]. j. 8. vii.
son, the examining auditor of the COM
pany, who refused to investigate this